News

MI Director Receives 2015 Indspire Award
Monday, November 3, 2014
Gerald Anderson

Gerald Anderson

The Marine Institute’s Gerald Anderson, director, Development and Engagement, has been announced as one of 14 outstanding Indigenous Canadians who have been selected as recipients of the 2015 Indspire Awards.

Indspire, the largest non-governmental funder of Indigenous education, awarded Mr. Anderson with its environment and natural resources award for his work establishing fisheries and marine education in Nunavik, Nunavut and Labrador. Anderson, originally from Lanse aux Meadows, NL, is of Inuit descent.

I have the privilege of working with so many people throughout the Marine Institute and Memorial University who share their knowledge and time to develop and teach our educational and training programs in Canada’s North communities,” said Anderson. “I feel proud to accept this award but my colleagues deserve much of the credit.”

The Indspire Awards, the highest honour bestowed by Indigenous people on their own achievers, have celebrated the significant contributions of Indigenous people in Canada for 22 years. The Indspire Awards recognize the success of individuals who have the discipline, drive, and determination to set high standards and accomplish their goals. They promote self-esteem and pride for the Indigenous community and provide outstanding role models for Indigenous youth.

The jury for the Indspire Awards is composed of previous Award recipients, representing a range of sectors and regions across the country. From hundreds of nominations, the jury selects ten career achievement award recipients, three youth award recipients (First Nation, Inuit and Métis), and one lifetime achievement recipient.

Indspire is an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire disburses financial awards, delivers programs, and shares resources with the goal of closing the gap in Indigenous education. Since its inception in 1985, Indspire has disbursed almost $65 million through close to 20,000 scholarships and bursaries to Indigenous students, making it the largest funder of Indigenous education outside the federal government.

The 2015 Indspire Awards gala will be held on February 27, 2015 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary. The gala ceremony will air at a later date on Global Television and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).